Fountain brush



A. BRUNAUER FOUNTAIN BRUSH Oct. 12, 1937.

Filed Sept. 26, 1936 I2 W s? 0a 35 as a \IO a 34 INVENTOR. WW

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 12, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOUNTAIN BRUSH Albert Brunauer, Detroit, Mich.

Application September 26, 1936, Serial No. 102,667

, 4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in brushesin associationwith fountain mechanism a therefor and the objects of my improvements are first, to provide a fountain brush with means for diffusing a liquid container in the fountain more effectively over the brush; second, to provide a fountain brush in which the fountain brush pro- -yides amore efficient handle portion thereon; vvthird, to provide a fountain brush in which the fountain brush is so constructed with the brush as to provide a suitable support for the fountain and brush While the fountain is being replenished with a liquid therein; and fourth, to provide a fountain brush with means permitting the ready removal and replenishment of the brushes therein. Q I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the fountain brush taken on the line I--I, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a sectional view of the fountain brush taken'on the line 22, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan view of the brush removedfrom, its fountain portion, said view being disclosed toan enlarged scale over that of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4, an enlarged partial view of the fountain brush taken substantially on the line 2- 2, Fig. 1 to more clearly disclosethe valve .mechanism thereof and Fig. 5, the fountain brush in its supported position for filling or replenishing: the liquid or semi-liquid contents er f- Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views. My fountain brushis especially adapted for cleaning automotive vehicles or similar cleaning operations in which the cleaning liquid or semiliquidis incorporated in the fountain thereof, and [it is to be understood that my fountainbrush may also be usedforblackening and polishing shoes and in similar operationsas well.

;.The brush assembly A is provided with the base tormember l in which the bristles or brushes 2 are secured in the apertures or openings 3 of the base or member I. The housing 4 is provided with flexible side walls or portions 5 which are Qcapable of displacement to insure their being flexed sufficiently to fri-ctionally engage the sides of the base or member I by the screws or similar fastening members 6 which extend therethrough and engage the base portion I to displace the wall portions 5 to thus hold the brush assembly in its operativeposition in the housing 4, the inside area of the housing 4 being of suflicient size to permit the base member I to be slidably positioned The spacer member I is telescopically mounted within the housing 4 and provided with the flange portion 8 which extends 'annularly around the interior of the housing 4 to provide the opening 9 therethrough. The gasket or sealing member I0 is suitably secured to the lower side of the. flange portion 8 and provides a sealing means between the brush assembly A and the'lower side of the flange assembly B and the insidesurfaces of the wall portion 5. v

The base portion I of the brush assembly A is provided with a plurality of relatively small holes or openings II located between the openings 3 and connect the chamber I2 by means of the opening 9 formed by the flange portion 8of the member I.

It is to be noted that the base portion I will be provided with the screen member I3 which extends over the upper surface of the baseor mem- 'ber I and across the holes or openings I I as well as across the holes or openings 3. V

The screen member I3 is retained on the base member l by the binding I4 which is secured to the base member I by the tacks, screws or similar fastening members I5, the binding I4 engaging the lower surface of the sealing member II], the binding I4 having a width substantially equal to the sealing member I0. The tank or container member I6 is adapted to contain the supply of liquid or semi-liquid. which is used in the cleaning, "polishing, or blackening or similar operation, and is 'cy'lindrical'in form and preferably of a diameter slightly less than the width of the housing 4,to provide a handle member for the fountain brush in a manner to enable the thumb I1 and fingers I8 of the operator's hand to grasp the container I6 with the thumb I! and fingers I8 of the hand of the operator being crowded between the sides of the container I6 and the upper wall portion of the housing 4, which thus provides a more eflicient and secure gripping of the fountain brush in its operation, and which thus more efficiently absorbs the reactions developed in the brushing or cleaning operation and results in a more stable hold on the fountain brush,,with a resultant less tendency for the fountain brush to be jarred or moved'outof the hand ofthe operator.

The container I6 is suitably secured to the housing 4 by welding, soldering or similar fastening means as indicated at I95. 7

It isto be notedthat the container I6 is constructed of a tubular member having one of its ends sufficiently closed by the cap member 20 which is provided with a cylindrical flange portion 2I for fitting over the tubular member 22, a

portion of the tubular member 22 being offset as at 23 to permit the cap member to be assembled substantially flush with one end surface 5 of the housing 4 as disclosed in Fig. 1 which permits the fountain brush to be up-ended and supported on the outer end surface of the cap member 20, together with an end surface 5 of the housing 4 to facilitate filling or replenishing liquid or semiliquid in the container I6 by means of the cap member 24 at the other of its ends, the cap member 24 threadably engaging the tubular member 22 to permit ready removal and replacement of the cap member 24, the cap member 24 being provided with the gasket or sealing member 2.5 to seal the contents of the container I6 therein when the fountain brush is being used in its cleaning, polishing, or blackening operation.

The upper wall portion of the housing 4 is provided with the sealing surface 26 preferably conical in shape against and with which the valve member 2! seats, the Valve member 21 beingprovided with a similar conical surface for engaging with the seating surface 26, the valve member 21 being provided with a plurality of small holes 21A therethrough. The valve member 21 is further provided with the conical portion 28 which, due to its flare outwards, provides a more efiicient mass of the valve member 2'! for displacement purposes to always insure sufficiently covering and engaging the seating surface 26, the valve member 21 being constructed of rubber or similar resilient material to facilitate engagement with the seating surface 26;

The valve member 21 is mounted on the shaft '29 which extends through the opening 30 in the lower wall of the container I6, the shaft 29 also further extending through the upper wall portion of the valve tubular member 22 to connect with the button or handle member 3| which is thus located substantially central of the length of the housing 4 and slightly offset longitudinally on the center of the container I6. v

The button member 3|, however, is located where it will be contacted by the centralportion of the hand of the operator as the hand of the operator grasps the container I6 as "a handle member, thus insuring that the button member 3I will be positioned for automatically operating same by the pressure of the hand of the operator as desired to depress and open the valve member 21 against the resilient member or spring 32 which is mounted in the chamber I2, the resilient member 32 being of blade construction extending across the width of the chamber I2 to permit its ends 33 to engage the upper surface of the flange portion 8 of the member I, the resilient member 32 always exerting an upward thrust on the valve member I by means of the head portion 34 of the shaft 29, the head portion 34 retaining the valve member 2'! thereon, the head portion 34 engaging the upper surface of the resilient member 32.

A plurality of small holes or'openings 35 are provided through the lower wall portion of the container I 6 and the upper wall portion of the housing 4 within the projected area of the seating surface 26 to permit the contents of the container I6 to flow downwardly from the container I6 and into the chamber I2 when the valve member 21 is in its open position.

The spacer member 36 is of tubular construction and surrounds the shaft 29 with'a clearance space 31 'therebetween, the spacer member '36 being provided with the slots 38 at its lower portion to permit the contents of the container I6 to flow therethrough to freely circulate above the openings 35 to insure that said contents may flow freely therethrough into the chamber I2.

The gasket or sealing member 39 is interposed between the washer or member 49 which is located at the upper end of the spacer member 36,

the gasket or sealing member 39 being constructed of rubber or similar material to permit its being displaced in its assembly between the member anl the upper inside surface of the tubular member 22, the resilient characteristics of the gasket chambers which further secure the gasket or sealing member 39 to the upper inside wall of the tubular member 22, which, together with the resilient characteristics of the gasket or sealing member exerted against the member 40 at the end of the member 36, securely holds the gasket member 39 in position and permits the shaft 29 to be reciprocated without danger of the-escape of the contents of the container I6 around the shaft 29. a

It is to be noted that the screen member I3 will be interposed between any supply of liquid that may flow into the chamber I2 and will cause a dispersion of said liquid as it drops on the screen like formation of the screen member I 3," the liquid dispersed thereon tending to spread along the wire members of the screen I3 so that it will be displaced and spreadover the total area of the screen member I3 and thus be distributed equally to and into the small openings or pas-" sages II, thus insuring even distribution of the liquid or semi-liquids throughout all of the brushes 2 instead of allowing the liquid to flow directly past the valve member 21 and throughout the small group of holes or passages II which may be located immediately below the valve member 21.

It is to be understood that this'is accomplished by the well-known principle of capillary attraction which causes the drops of the liquid to cling to the wire construction of the screen member I3 and to flow longitudinally of said wire members and then directly through the screen member I3 into the brush assembly A. 'I'his'principle of my invention is especially valuable as only a relatively small amount of the liquid contents-of the container I6 are conventionally used and this provides a very economical feature because only a relatively'few drops'may be controlled to pass from the tank I6 into the chamber I2and 35 thus into the screen m.emberI3,-a-nd 'yet a relatively small amount of said'dropsareefficiently dispersed over and through the entire area of the brush assembly A, and an efiicient-fdispersion or diffusion of the liquid contents of the tank W can only be accomplished in conventional brush mechanisms by flooding the brush assembly thereof, which results in the liquid being distributed unevenly with exceptionally large amounts in localized areas of the brush assembly} In operation, the fountain brush is placed in an up-ended position as disclosed in Fig. 5 on-a brush during its filling operation, which-isaccomplished by removing the cap member 24 together with its gasket or sealing member and placing the desired amount of liquid or semiliquid contents in the container I8.

Then the cap member 24, together with the gasket or sealing member 25, is again secured to the end of the tubular member 22 and the fountain brush is grasped by the hand of the operator as indicated in Fig. 2 with the fingers of the hand crowded into the space between one side of the container I6 and the upper portion of the housing 4, the thumb and ball of the hand being crowded against the opposite side of the tank I6 and between it and the opposite upper portion of the housing 4.

The member 3| is thus positioned midway'and under a main portion of the hand of the operator so that as the brush is manipulated in its cleaning, or polishing operations against an object, such as a vehicle, shoe, or similar object,

the operator may depress the button 3| against the resilient member 32 sufliciently to allow a relatively 'small amount of the contents of the container I6 to flow thereout or through the holes 5 and past the valve 21 and/or through the openings 26A into the chambers 22' where it drops into the chamber 22 and through the opening 9 where it drops upon the rod or wire formations of the screen I3 and by capillary attraction flows longitudinally of the rod or screen formation thereof to be dispersed equally throughout the area of the screen member I3, and thus equally over the upper side of the base member I and through the holes or passages I I and thus falling or passing into the apertures or spaces between the brush members 2, and thus on its way out to the outer endsof the bristles or brushes 2 of the brush assembly A.

, When the brush assembly A has become worn, the screws 6 are loosened and removed, which allows the flexible side portions 5 of the housing 4 to be slightly displacedaway from the base member I of the brush assembly A, which thus allows the base member I to be slidably removed from the housing 4 and a new brush may be readily assembled again within the housing 4, thus permitting ready replacement of the worn brushes without the necessity of discarding the total fountain brush assembly.

I claim:

1. In a fountain brush, the combination of a tank, a valve member for controlling a flow of the contents of said tank therefrom, and a resilient sealing member mounted around said valve member to prevent leakage therearound and through a wall of said tank, said resilient sealing member being provided with vacuum depressions to further secure said resilient sealing member to said wall of said tank.

2. In a fountain brush, the combination of a tank, a housing secured to said tank, a conical shaped valve member mounted in and, extending through said tank, said conical shaped valve member being provided with a head portion having a spherical shaped end, a resilient blade mounted on said housing and engaging said spherically shaped end of said conical shaped valve member to actuate said conical shaped valve member to a closed position, and a brush member mounted in said housing.

3. In a fountain brush, the combination of a tank, a valve member mounted in said tank, and a seal member constructed of rubber or similar material and surrounding said valve member to prevent leakage thereby, said seal member being,

I provided with vacuum depressions therein to facilitate securement to:a wall surface adjacent said valve member.

4. In a fountain brush, the combination of a tank provided with oppositely disposed openings therethrough together with a plurality of holes surrounding one of said oppositely disposed openings, said tank'being provided with a valve seat surface connecting with said plurality of holes, a valve member provided with a head portion adapted to engage said valve seat surface and close said plurality of holes, said valve member being further provided with a shaft extending through said oppositely disposed openings,a spacer member surrounding said shaft and provided with slots in an end located adjacent said plurality of holes, a resilient sealing member between said shaft and a Wall of said tank, said resilient sealing'member surrounding said shaft, a housing secured to said tank and surrounding said head portion, a resilient member in said housing and actuating said head portion to a closed position, and a brush member mounted in said housing.

ALBERT BRUNAUER. 

